Make more bewitch and haunt themselves,
Than all their Nurseries of Elves.
For Fear does things fo like a Witch,
'Tis hard t'unriddle which is which,
Sets up Communities of Senfes,
To chop and change Intelligences;
As Rofi-crufian Virtuofi's,
Can fee with Ears, and hear with Nofes:
And when they neither fee nor hear,
Have more than both fupply'd by Fear;
That makes 'em in the Dark fee Vifions,
And hag themselves with Apparitions :
And when their Eyes discover least,
Discern the fubt❜left Objects beft.
Do things not contrary alone
To th' Courfe of Nature, but its own:
The Courage of the Braveft daunt,
And turn Poltroons as valiant;
For Men as refolute appear
With too much, as too little Fear.
And when they're out of hopes of flying,
Will run away from Death by dying :
Or turn again to ftand it out,
And those they fled, like Lions, Rout.
This Hudibras had prov'd too true,
Who, by the Furies, left Perdue,
And haunted with Detachments, fent
From Marshal Legion's Regiment;
Was by a Fiend, as counterfeit,
Reliev'd and Refcu'd with a Cheat:
When nothing but Himself, and Fear,
Were both the Imps and Conjurer :
As by the Rules o'th' Vertuofi,
It follows in due Form of Po'fie.
Disguis'd in all the Mask of Night,
VVe left our Champion on his Flight:
At Blindmans-Buff to grope his way,
In equal fear of Night and Day:
Who took this dark and defp'rate Course,
He knew no better than his Horse;
And by an unknown Devil led,
(He knew as little whither) fled.
He never was in greater need,
Nor lefs Capacity of Speed.
Disabled both in Man and Beaft,
To fly, and run away, his best;
To keep the Enemy, and Fear,
From equal falling on his Rear.
And tho with Kicks and Bangs he ply'd
The further, and the nearer fide:
(As Sea-men ride with all their force,
And Tug as if they Row'd the Horfe;
And when the Hackney Sails most swift,
Believe they lag, or run a drift)
So though he posted e'er fo faft,
His Fear was greater than his Hafte
For Fear, tho' fleeter than the Wind,
Believes 'tis always left behind.
But when the Morn began t'appear,
And shift t'another Scene his Fear;
He found his new Officious Shade,
That came fo timely to his Aid,
And forc'd him from the Foe t' escape,
Had turn'd it self to Ralpho's fhape;
So like in Perfon, Garb and Pitch,
'Twas hard t' interpret which was which:
For Ralpho had no fooner told
The Lady all he had t' unfold,
But the convey'd him out of fight,
To entertain th' approaching Knight.
And while he gave himself Diverfion,
T'accommodate his Beaft and Perfon;
And put his Beard into a Pofture,
At beft Advantage to accoft her:
She order'd th' Antimasquerade,
(For his Reception) aforefaid:
But when the Ceremony was done,
The Lights put out, and Fairies gone;
And Hudibras, amongst the reft,
Convey'd away, as Ralpho guefs'd :
The wretched Caitiff all alone,
(As he believ'd) began to moan,
And tell his Story to himself;
The Knight miftook him for an Elf.
And did fo ftill, till he began
To fcruple at Ralpho's Outward Man:
And thought, because they oft agreed,
T' appear in one another's ftead,
And act the Saint's and Devil's Part,
With undistinguishable Art:
They might have done fo now perhaps,
And put on one another's Shapes;
And therefore, to refolve the Doubt,
He ftar'd upon him, and cry'd out;
What art? My Squire, or that bold Sprite,
That took his Place and Shape to Night?
Some bufie Independent Pug,
Retainer to his Synagogue?
Alas, quoth be, I'm none of those
Your Bofom-Friends, as you fuppofe;
But Ralph himself, you trufty Squire,
Wh' has drag'd your Donship out o'th' Mire;
And from th' Inchantments of a Widow,
Who' had turn'd ye int' a Beast,have freed you;
And, though a Prisoner of War,
Have brought you fafe, where now you are;
VVhich you would gratefully repay,
Your conftant Presbyterian way.
That's ftranger (quo'the Knight) and ftranger; Who gave thee notice of my Danger?
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